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As they have done in the past, Marvel is offering free digital redemption codes for the first collection of select All-New Marvel NOW titles for readers who purchase a copy of that title's .NOW issue. The offer is a great way to get catch up on some of the back story of these titles, while the .NOW issue itself should serve as a jumping on point for new readers. On the surface, it seems like a smart move that both helps readers understand the books and might help Marvel by convincing some readers to pick up more back issues. Underneath the surface, however, things may get a little more sinister.

"I was thinking about picking up Iron Man 23.NOW," reported one potential new reader interested in finding out what's going on with the popular Avenger. "I like Kieron Gillen, and Luke Ross is a good artist. But now I find out that if I buy that issue, I'm gonna get a free redemption code for the first few issues of Iron Man, which features art by Greg Land. What the hell?"

The Outhouse is not responsible for any retina damage incurred from staring directly at Greg Land artwork.

"Arrrgghhh!" the reader cried upon seeing some examples of Land's art from the book. "Oh god! Since when is Tony Stark Chinese?! Why does Pepper Potts look like post-plastic-surgery-meltdown Jenna Jameson?!"

The horrors don't end with Land. Readers interested in Gerry Duggan's Nova will reportedly be subjected to free examples of the writing of Jeph Loeb, while people who purchase Uncanny Avengers will be forced to read... more Uncanny Avengers! The humanity!

We put away the portfolio of Land's artwork, feeling we'd made our point.

On the bright side, readers can get some extra bang for their buck with All-New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thor: God of Thunder, but anyone who hasn't been reading those titles from the start deserves to be blinded by Greg Land art anyway.

Here's the press release:

Select All-New Marvel NOW! Titles To Include FREE Digital Collection!

New York. NY—December 4th, 2013— The most popular characters. The most acclaimed creators. The most ambitious stories. This is the recharged All-NewMarvel NOW!.

Featuring all-new ongoing series AND must read .NOW entry issues for new readers, All-New Marvel NOW! takes the Marvel Universe in exciting new directions this Winter. With exciting new stories from the industry’s top creators like Brian Michael Bendis, Jonathan Hickman, Rick Remender, Dan Slott, Warren Ellis, Jason Aaron, Kieron Gillen, & more – All-New Marvel NOW! is set to deliver some of the best comics on the market.

But that’s not all! In addition to a free digital copy of that same comic on the Marvel Comics appfor iOS and Android devices, select .NOW titles also include a digital code for the entire first collection of that series ABSOLUTELY FREE!

“The .NOW issues provide a great first issue entry point for new and existing readers alike,” said David Gabriel, SVP of Print & Digital Publishing, Marvel Entertainment. “But by offering free digital collections with print issues, we’re offering fans who may not have experienced these exciting series a great chance to jump into the full story all at once, taking advantage of both the print and digital formats in a manner no other publisher has attempted! “

All-New Marvel NOW!titles that include a Free Digital Collection:

· Avengers #24.NOW– On-Sale 12/24/13

· Savage Wolverine #14.NOW– On-Sale 1/08/14

· All-New X-Men #22.NOW– On-Sale 1/22/14

· Guardians of the Galaxy #11.NOW– On-Sale 1/29/14

· Captain America #16.NOW– On-Sale 02/05/14

· Thor: God of Thunder #19.NOW– On-Sale 02/12/14

· Nova #13.NOW– On-Sale 02/19/14

· Iron Man #23.NOW– On-Sale 03/19/14

· Uncanny X-Men #19.NOW– On-Sale 03/19/14

· Uncanny Avengers #18.NOW– On-Sale 3/26/14

Once again, the biggest creators bring you the biggest characters in the biggest stories…and it’s happening NOW!

For more on All-New Marvel NOW!, please visit now.marvel.comand join the conversation on Twitter with #MarvelNOW.

Subscribe to Marvel Digital Unlimited and you can have Greg Land on demand anytime you don't desire it.*

* Except when the server is down.**** Usually on Saturdays****** And don't get too excited about Android app's "read offline feature". My experiment resulted in comics with every fourth page (one issue of Avengers replicated a Fibonocci sequence) until I turned off the feature and just read from the web